Calls for Apology Over Historic Denial of Title Shot to Black Boxer

An apology is being sought for a Black individual who was prevented from competing for a championship title due to his race, with hundreds of schoolchildren having contacted sports officials and the UK government. Cuthbert Taylor, born in Merthyr Tydfil in 1909, represented Great Britain at the Olympics but was ineligible to contend for the British title as both his parents were not white. His narrative, alongside the history of boxing’s colour bar, which was in effect from 1911 to 1948, is currently being depicted in a theatrical production titled The Fight. The correspondence was directed to the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC), the body responsible for enforcing the colour bar, and also to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. A letter from students at Cwmnedd Primary School in Neath Port Talbot characterized the colour bar as “horrendous, horrific and disgraceful,” asserting that it was “not right then, and it is not right now.” Born to a Liverpool-born father of Jamaican heritage and a Welsh mother, Cuthbert competed for Great Britain in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, advancing to the quarter-finals. He held the distinction of being the first Black boxer to represent Great Britain and the nation’s third Black Olympian. Over a 20-year professional career, he achieved 151 victories, 22 draws, and 69 losses. However, he was denied the opportunity to compete for the British title because, under the BBBoC’s regulations, participants were required to have “two white parents.” Following viewings of The Fight, which recently concluded performances at Swansea’s Dylan Thomas Theatre and Theatr Brycheiniog in Brecon, Powys, students from several schools in south Wales were moved to compose letters requesting an apology. A letter co-authored by Katie H and Morgan G, students at Cwmnedd Primary School in Neath Port Talbot, stated that it was “unfair” for boxers lacking white, British parents to be barred from contending for the British title. The letter declared: “The colour bar was horrendous, horrific and disgraceful. It was not right then, and it is not right now. The awful act can be reconciled by apologising to the boxers.” Aisling Brady Saunders, deputy headteacher at St Joseph’s Junior School in Port Talbot, another participating school, commented, “It was entirely the children’s idea to pen letters to the British Boxing Board of Control.” She added, “They feel very strongly that Cuthbert Taylor, his surviving family and all boxers affected by the colour bar rule should have an apology and be recognised for their sporting achievements.” The BBBoC has stated that boxing stands as one of the UK’s “most diverse and inclusive sports” and conceded that the colour bar was erroneous, yet it did not issue an apology. The UK government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) indicated that an apology primarily rests with the BBBoC and that it “does not wish to unduly influence their response,” further stating that it would reply to the letters “in due course.” It also noted that “by today’s standards, the prohibition that was in place in the early part of the last century was plainly racist.” Nick Taylor, Cuthbert Taylor’s grandson, characterized the letter-writing initiative as “absolutely amazing.” He informed BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, “It’s really nice to know that people are actually paying attention to something that’s over 100 years old.” Geinor Styles, the author of The Fight and a native of Merthyr Tydfil, expressed her conviction that Cuthbert’s narrative would connect with younger audiences. She remarked, “I just thought it would make a fantastic story to tell young people about the trials people faced at that time, and what they had to overcome to succeed.” She labeled the play’s reception, including the letter-writing campaign, as “overwhelming,” noting that the students had “taken the initiative” due to their strong feelings on the matter. “You always hope that when you create theatre shows that it has an impact, and we always say that theatre and arts can change lives. Well this is absolutely testament to that,” she stated. Regarding the colour bar, the BBBoC commented: “Of course, the board acknowledges that the implementation of the ‘colour bar’ was discriminatory, and the board accepts this was wrong. Indeed, the British Boxing Board of Control condemn in the strongest terms the colour bar that existed in professional boxing between 1911 and 1948.”